


A Collected Warmth

by Cumberbatch Critter (ivelostmyspectacles)



Series: The Amazing Adventures of Shinjiro Aragaki's Coat [1]
Category: Persona 3, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
Genre: Caretaking, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Gen, Shinji's Coat, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-02
Updated: 2015-04-02
Packaged: 2018-03-20 21:09:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3665103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivelostmyspectacles/pseuds/Cumberbatch%20Critter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shinjiro and Minako sleep together. And nobody's going to be explaining shit to anybody if they ask.</p><p> </p><p>It's a lot more innocent than it sounds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Collected Warmth

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Dormina](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3384209) by [Brightwing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brightwing/pseuds/Brightwing). 



> Set during PQ but, eh, no real spoilers or plot needed to be known asides the fact that they're stuck in the Yaso High culture festival world. Shinji-level language. Otherwise, pure fluff.
> 
> I do not own _Persona 3, P3P, Persona Q: SotL_. Thanks for reading!
> 
>  
> 
> Also inspired by the lovely story listed: sleepy anybody is a huge trope of mine and after reading Brightwing's story, I wanted to write my own sleepy Persona stuff. If you like this idea, definitely make sure to check out her awesome story because it is endearingly sweet.

It was unnaturally cold in Yasogami High.

Or maybe it was just cold because it was the realm between the worlds, between human and Shadow, some cross between Tartarus and an apparent world inside a television. Shinjiro didn't know. He just shrank into his trench coat and tugged his beanie down further his ears, and tried to ignore the unnatural chill in the air. It didn't both him much, anyway; months on the street didn't lend to having a penchant for always been cold. He had thick skin.

But, he was under the impression that a certain porcelain-skinned, crimson-eyed youth didn't.

It wasn't entirely fair, so what. Minako wasn't a fragile girl. Hell, she was scary when she wanted to be. Even Shinjiro hesitated under her burning gaze every now and then. But it was the same principal similar to the one he shared about Akihiko: he was pre-dispositioned to think that he needed to take care of them. She didn't particularly _need_ anyone - or she didn't think she did, anyway - but something was always on the tip of Shinjiro's tongue, racing at the edge of his thoughts: _has she had anything to eat today? That Shadow's going to exploit her weakness if she's not careful. Does she have the right armor? Why is she going to fight that platinum-haired chick by herself, it's too dangerous._

It drove Shinjiro batshit crazy. And yet, he couldn't help himself.

Wasn't his fault. It was half hers, at least. Yeah, he was sticking to that.

Shinjiro was just about to call it quits and rummage through the food court's kitchen until the group decided that it was time to continue their journey when he passed a certain hallway where a certain aforementioned girl caught his eye. She was slumped over a desk, head pillowed on her arms as countless nameless students walked by, ignoring her, blind to the ray of light in the otherwise darkness that still lingered over the cheerful atmosphere of the cultural festival.

He sighed. So that was why no one was going out on labyrinth duty; one half of the dynamic duo had fallen asleep.

"Idiot." Shinjiro backtracked down the hall.

Minako was pushing herself too hard. He had told her a few times since they'd been punted here that her burden of command shit wasn't meant to be only on her shoulders and, of course, she beamed and said she was fine and then went full-tilt down Go Go Gameland when she saw a stuffed cat as a prize. She hadn't been about to let anybody try to win it for her, either. She always had to do things herself. Of course.

Damn it, if it was annoying.

"Why can't you take it easy?" he griped, staring down at the top of Minako's head, the tendrils of hair falling from the messy bun into her face, her parted lips as she breathed in and out in perfect rhythm. Shinjiro looked away, pressing his lips into a firm line. His ears felt warm; ridiculous. He reached over without looking back and clutched her shoulder beneath his fingers, shaking it gently. "... Hey."

Minako didn't move. Did she always sleep like a fucking log? How hard was this supposed to be?

"Arisato," he continued gruffly. "You can't sleep here."

Minako mumbled something under her breath, moving enough that her fingers draped off the desk, but further didn't react asides muttering something about the shopping.

"Jeez." Shinjiro removed his hand from her shoulder, sweeping her hair out of her face from where it had fallen into her eyes. "You ain't making this easy, that's for sure." He glanced up and then down the hallway, surrounded by those nameless people that didn't interact with them. In all good conscience, he couldn't let Minako sleep here, and if she was tired enough to not be waking up from his futile attempt, then she didn't need to be woken up yet at all just so she'd go headlong back into the labyrinth. "Fine. Have it your way."

He cast a silent, hopeful prayer that she didn't wake up at this juncture. And then he slipped one arm around her back and the other awkwardly under her knees, hoisting her uncomfortably into his arms. It wasn't much of a struggle; she didn't weigh much. The position was awkward for a moment until he settled her into his arms and had her tucked up against his chest.

"Idiot," he reaffirmed, and then looked around helplessly for a moment- where was he supposed to put her? They'd been camping out in the classrooms or wherever they could when they needed the sleep.

In the end, Shinjiro settled on the nearest junior homeroom that he found empty, managing to slip inside without running into any of their companions or waking up the sleeping leader in his arms. It wasn't ideal, nowhere was. But where was he supposed to put her? Lay her on the floor? Because that was infinitely more comfortable than sleeping at the desk in the hallway. Shinjiro blew out a frustrated breath, one that faltered as Minako pressed her face against his arm. He glanced down at her and stared for a long moment, different thoughts fragmenting through his mind at sluggish speeds. Maybe Minako wasn't the only one who needed sleep. Hell.

It wasn't ideal, but Shinjiro picked one of the corners in the back of the classroom and sat her down gently. If she just would get her fingers untangled from his coat, whenever that had happened, he'd be able to-

"... Senpai?"

Shinjiro's fingers froze over Minako's, ceasing in their trying to pry her fingers away. His heartbeat stuttered, crashing in his chest and pulse; he didn't need to look at her to know that she'd woken up and was giving him that half-asleep look. He'd seen it often enough, when she'd traverse downstairs for the bathroom in the middle of a night that Shinjiro happened to be up late reading or when she'd come down to breakfast on their day off, bleary-eyed from studying or late-night ventures into Tartarus. It did weird shit to his emotional state; he'd rather not see her dopey smile while they were liable to be walked in on.

Still, he couldn't ignore her now. His hand fell away from hers, pressing flat against the floor. "You were asleep in the hall," he grumbled. "I brought you in here to be more comfortable, or somethin'. Go back to sleep," he said firmly- that was the end of the conversation, there was absolutely no room for a response- and made to stand up. He nearly fell over when Minako's fingers in his coat tightened and pulled at him. "Wha- Hey...!"

"We're all supposed to be resting," Minako mumbled and there was that sleepy-eyed look that made Shinjiro's cheeks burn. "Stay here, Shinji-kun."

"What... what are you saying?" From the nickname to the lack of _senpai_ , he would have been sure that Minako knew exactly what she was doing to him if she didn't look so damn tired. "I can't stay here with you, alone. I'll never hear the end of-"

Minako gripped at his wrist and tugged impatiently. Shinjiro melted down beside her without resistance, and then stiffened when she cuddled up against his side.

"We need sleep," Minako said stubbornly, a little childishly. Overly tired, Shinjiro suspected, and it was probably more true than he wanted to know.

"Just- Hey, moron, you can't just-" He held his arms aloft as Minako curled up against his side, looking content as all get out like the cat who'd gotten the canary. She didn't look like she planned on moving anytime soon.

Shinjiro gave up. "Tch, fine. But I ain't explaining shit if anyone asks." He glared towards the blackboard for a moment before letting his arms fall uselessly to his lap. He sat still for a moment before moving to take off his coat, earning a little bit of a grumble from Minako until he draped the burgundy coat over her shoulders. "Catch your death of cold," he muttered, like he hadn't been the one to bring her here from the hall in the first place.

Minako mumbled a thanks and thunked her head directly against his shoulder.

Shinjiro didn't dare turn to look at her. The press of her warm body against his was encompassing. The smell of her shampoo invaded his personal space. He turned his head away, and rest his temple against the cold wall. There was no way in hell he was ever going to be able to fall asleep like this.

 

He was asleep in minutes.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I never got the chance to play P3P, so I'm a little tiny bit unsure of Minako; hopefully, she's not too far off the actual characterisation. This pair is way too cute to pass up.


End file.
